Crow Feathers
by starscriptmage
Summary: Because every young man used to be a boy, and every boy used to be a child. She sure doesn't know anything about motherhood, but her son is definitely going to turn out to be an interesting human being. A series of drabble-ish oneshot adventures concerning Kageyama Tobio and his mother.
1. little crow

She remembers the day he was born, a sweet little pouting baby boy with hair as black as a crow's wing. Large eyes, holding the night sky within them, and a stern, serious gaze that nearly makes her laugh. He's absolutely beautiful, she thinks. Looks just like his father, this little boy. He's a strong one, as well: he had her cursing out loud and between clenched teeth for more than twenty hours.

But she doesn't regret those twenty hours at all.

Almost immediately, once the nurses have put him in her arms, he bounces upwards, squinting, reaching for something she can't see. His hand brushes her cheek and she shivers slightly, a crippling, overwhelming wave of emotion making her blink, her eyelashes suddenly wet.

"You're a flier, aren't you," she whispers, tickling his nose. He sucks in air and puffs it back out, and she laughs wholeheartedly, grinning. "Even now, you're already trying to fly away."

A tear hits his cheek, and he clumsily wipes it away, sort of scowling at her. She promptly bursts out laughing: this child is going to become the grumpiest crow in the world. But he'll be a crow nonetheless, wings spread alongside him, speeding like a dart through open blue skies.

So she names him Tobio, 'flying hero'. Because that's what he'll be when he grows up.


	2. morning blues

She loves mornings the most. It's when she can stretch her arms, gulp down some tea, and welcome in a new day, but now, it's because she can see her son's face.

It's such a cute face, she thinks. Round and slightly chubby, peach-pink and softer than mochi. Experimentally she touches her finger to his cheek and is suddenly greeted by a pair of dark blue eyes meeting hers.

"Good morning," she says sleepily, and he blinks, little rosy mouth opening in a quiet yawn.

"Breakfast is in thirty minutes," she tells him. "Go back to bed, Tobi-chan."

Looking a little miffed, as if saying _well, you woke me up,_ he obeys and shuts his eyes.

His eyelashes are thick and dark, which is adorable, for some odd reason.

She sighs and pulls her hair into a loose knot, standing up. Then, deciding otherwise, she sinks back into her bed, pulls the covers back over her shoulders, and lets her fingers wrap around the crib's wooden bars.

She allows herself a small smile as soft, warm fingertips touch her knuckles. Tobio stuffs his other hand into his mouth and dozes off, his breathing feathery-light to match her deep, long breaths. Their shoulders synchronize with each other as the sun rises overhead, and she lets her mind sink back to slumber.


	3. just too adorable

"Aaah, don't do that," she says with chagrin as Tobio spits out a spoonful of mashed banana. The first week back from the hospital was delightful: he'd gotten used to his new crib in no time, and the walls that she'd painted with soaring birds were greeted with happy gurgles. She'd also bought a new mobile to match: one with fat, fluffy bird plushies hanging from its center. Tobio did look a little offended at that (she swears that her boy was developing a personality quite like her husband's), but she'd caught him swatting at it once, eyes bright with curiosity, so she definitely didn't regret purchasing it.

Now, Tobio is sitting in a high chair, bib and face smeared with banana, looking completely and utterly disgusted at the taste of his lunch. One month had gone by so fast - and now it's January and the coldness is beginning to recede from the air.

"One more time," she says sternly to Tobio, and promptly makes airplane sounds, letting the spoon filled with banana zoom towards his mouth.

Tobio lets her put the spoon into his mouth.

And proceeds to spit it immediately out all over her arm.

" _Tobi-chan_!" she chastises him, and sighs at his innocent expression. "What'll your daddy say? He needs his rest, and I can't go running into the bedroom asking him to help me feed you, you know."

'Tobi-chan' makes a sound that sounds rather matter-of-fact, and she giggles, bopping his nose.

"I can't stay angry at you for too long," she says, and he hums slightly. "You're just too adorable."

"Who's too adorable?" a voice yawns, next to her ear. She looks up to see a tall, dark-eyed man trying to pull a comb through his hair, and grins. "I hope you're talking about Daddy."


	4. father

"Good afternoon," she says. "Sleep well?"

He smiles sleepily, shyly, back down at her, dark raven hair mussed, brown eyes noticeably less weighed down by bruise-like bangs than the day before.

"I slept wonderfully," he replies, "though I wasn't expecting to be asleep until… afternoon, you say?"

"Twelve thirty. Sorry for waking you up."

"You did nothing of that sort. I woke of my own accord."

He sighs, and turns.

"And how's Tobio?"

Tobio takes the spoon from his mother's hand and smacks his father between the eyes with it.

"Doing good, I see," he says in a strained voice, and she giggles.

"Why don't you try feeding him, now that you're awake?"

She receives a rather dubious look from her husband and rolls her eyes, smiling gently.

"Just try it," she says, nudging him.

He obliges reluctantly, picking up the spoon. Scooping up a small amount of banana he hesitates, looks at her, and then nudges Tobio's lips gently open.

"Say 'ah'," he tells the baby in a hushed, tender tone that makes her bite her lip to conceal her smile.

Tobio says 'ah', and much to her shock, he actually _swallows_ it, and opens his mouth for more.

Her own mouth pops open indignantly.

"Hey, that's not fair!" she protests. "How come he listens to you?"

"I'm his dad," is the deadpanned response. But she can't stay grumpy at Tobio's father either; he's just like his son, serious and straightforward. Very shy when it comes to relationships, but he works hard in every way, like now, in a task that's simple: just to feed his son. Sometimes he's a little dense, but that's what makes him absolutely adorable. Because that's where Tobio inherited his cuteness - from his father.

The sight of her husband and child cooing and gulping down lunch makes her heart melt. She smiles slightly, leaning back and watching with shocked surprise as the older Kageyama leans in to bump his nose on his son's and instead receives a mouthful of chewed-up banana to the face.


	5. obstinacy (and his mother's eyes)

"Why don't we read another book?" she says wearily.

Tobio gives her an obstinate look, and she takes a deep breath.

"You really do love this book, don't you," his mother sighs, shaking her head. The little board book in her hand stares back at her, the image of a cartoon bird surrounded by the words CROW-KUN AND FRIENDS making her temples throb. Tobio's become completely obsessed with this book. She still can't figure out why, but the moment she takes it out of his bookshelf his eyes start to brighten with curiosity and he whips his head up to look at her pleadingly.

It might have something to do with the little volleyball tucked under Crow-kun's wing, though, as Tobio's seen his daddy pick up his beloved ball and throw it up and down every few days.

Work's been hard on him, however. She really misses him, and so does Tobio.

"So you want to be a volleyball player, like Daddy?" she asks her son teasingly.

He stares at her, the same solemn gaze that her husband has, except it's blue instead of brown. **(1)**

"I-In that case, maybe I'll get you a toy volleyball for your next birthday," she suggests.

He reaches for the book, her attempt to distract him having failed miserably.

"Ah, well," she says, tucking the blanket around him. He wriggles slightly in her arms as she starts to read out loud slowly and carefully about the adventures of Crow-kun and his friends. Honestly, the way he stares, transfixed to the pictures of the book, is really funny to watch. He's completely absorbed in the story no matter how many times they read it.

Still, she doesn't stop a ghost of a smile from hovering over her face. That would make her husband laugh with unbridled glee - his own son wanting to learn his favourite sport in the entire world.

 **(2) "He stares at her, the same solemn gaze that her husband has, except it's blue instead of brown". Tobiarry Potteryama has his** _**mother's eyes**_ **. And perhaps next chapter I will give Kageyama a lightning-shaped scar as well?**


	6. high five

"C'mon, you can do it," she urges Tobio. "We can surprise Daddy tonight!"

Several months-old Tobio gives his suddenly enthusiastic mother a quizzical stare.

"The high-five," she explains slightly impatiently, gesturing about her. "You know, the one I taught you? You did take a notice in the volleyball under Crow-kun's wing. In sports after you get a point, or especially after you win a set or a game, this is what you do to celebrate with your teammates."

She spreads Tobio's fingers and gently smacks her palm against his.

"Try again?" she suggests.

She holds out her hand towards him and he stares at it for one, two, three, four, five counts…

… and crawls off to play elsewhere.

"Tobi- _chan_ ," she chides.

He looks over his shoulder questioningly.

"Please?" she offers.

In response, he claps his hands together, and stares at her again when she deflates slightly.

"You can't win a game by _yourself_ , you know," she chastises him. "You have, oh, let's see: teammates, a coach, an advisor who's a teacher, senpais who can show you how to receive properly, kohais that you'll teach… Even the cheering squad who comes to every game counts. You must think that you're equal to everyone else. How are you going to become a good player if you want to win on your own?

"Here."

She stretches her hand out again.

"Try."

Tobio looks at her silently, then at his own palm, and slowly, hesitantly, puts his palm to hers.


	7. first birthday & presents

"Happy birthday, Tobi-chan!"

She claps her hands together, sitting in front of the yawning baby, and ruffles his soft, downy hair. Then, she places a small, blue box in front of Tobio.

It's simply wrapped, and the only decoration is a dark blue ribbon. Tobio eyes it cautiously, and she giggles.

"It's not going to hurt you, silly," she tells him, nudging it further towards him. "Go on, open it."

It takes Tobio about, well, fifteen tries to figure out that one: the thing on top is a lid, and two: the box actually contains something inside.

He tips it upside down, face screwing up in effort, and a little plushy volleyball plops out, followed by a pair of new socks (volleyball print) and a shirt (with a volleyball on it).

Tobio waits patiently as she slips the shirt over his pajamas, poking his belly where the volleyball is printed, and waits as she grins at how cute her son looks in his new socks, then lunges for the volleyball.

"Very eager, are you," says his mother drily, and Tobio makes a gargling sound of pleasure.

"Wait 'till your father hears that you started playing volleyball at one!" she says gleefully. "A child genius! He'll cry from joy!"

Tobio stuffs the volleyball into his mouth, eyes wide with interest, saliva dribbling down his chin in great rivulets.

"... or not."


End file.
